We heard recently from Daniel Grindstaff, banjo picker with Marty Raybon, with news about Marty’s new CD and the band’s recent travels.

As many of our readers are aware, Raybon got his start as a bluegrass artist in Florida performing with his family band before achieving chart-topping success with the country band Shenandoah.

Daniel tells us that the new CD is tentatively titled, This That And The Other, and will touch on many of the various musical styles Marty has performed over the years - to include ballads, up tempo bluegrass, and Gospel music. It will be his first double disc project, and an early release to bluegrass radio is due to be shipped in August.

Marty has wanted to release a project like this for some time, based on recurring fan requests, and shared his own thoughts about the new CD:

“This has been a long awaited project of material that I truly believe will take the fan of yesterday and today to a reminiscence of the past while keeping pace with what looks like a very bright and successful future.”

The band has just returned from a tour of Canada, and Daniel says that despite high fuel prices, attendance at shows was very strong. On the way back, Marty and the guys found time for a stop in New York City to take in a Yankees game.

Marty will be on tour throughout the remainder of the year and is planing for a very busy 2009 tour to promote the new double album.

We’ll have more on the new release as details emerge.

Earlier in the month we told you about the Dan Tyminski video for the title track from his album Wheels, released June 17 on Rounder Records.

Rounder has revealed a little about the making of the video and the picturesque setting that all but steals the show.

Directed by Rocky Schenck and produced by Rocky Schenck and Brad Paul, the video, was shot on the unique Sierra Hotel train car on June 10 -11 in California.

The Sierra Hotel car was part of the California Zephyr line that ran from Chicago to Los Angeles from 1948 to 1983. The car was then purchased privately and completely restored and customized. The producers of the video chartered the car and had it attached to the Amtrak Coast Starlight train (which runs from Seattle to Los Angeles) in Oakland and shot the video during the journey south to Los Angeles and back to Oakland the next day. Wheels features grand iconic scenery, informal performances and humorous vignettes about the band finding ways to stay entertained while on the road.

The video is being added on GAC on Tuesday, July 22 and is currently in heavy rotation on CMT Pure. It can also be viewed online.

Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike begin their latest trip to Europe on Sunday with fives dates in England, followed by two in Ireland and one in Wales before playing a last show in England and then moving on to make four appearances at venues in Germany.

The hectic tour - with 13 appearances in 16 days - is sponsored in part by British Americana magazine, Maverick, which describes Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike as an “excellent stage act ….. known for their lively and impressive concerts!”

Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike consists of lead singer and band leader Valerie Smith, Becky Buller on vocal, fiddle, clawhammer banjo, guitar and as a principal songwriter in the group, Bobby Davis on bass and fiddle, Chad Graves on resophonic guitar and vocals, and Eric Lambert on guitar and mandolin.

Valerie spoke to me about the trip just as she was making final preparations prior to flying out Friday morning …….

“This tour will represent eight years that I have performed in Europe and am anticipating seeing familiar faces. I welcome the opportunity to develop a wider audience. Bell Buckle Records is especially excited about Maverick magazine supporting my tour for the second time and helping spread the news about the anticipated release ‘Here’s A Little Song’!, a duet project recorded with artist, Becky Buller, who will be joining me on the tour. We plan to perform many new songs from the CD and hope that the audience enjoys our new, fresh, enthusiastic show! The band, Liberty Pike, is so much fun to watch and have a great time playing music together.

I have always loved to perform for the enthusiastic audience in Europe and UK and am excited to be there in July and August! Our first show is on the Isle of Wight, and the show will be filmed and produced by the UK Entertainment channel. What a surprise and great opportunity to share the music and gain more publicity for what we do.”

Here’s a full list of dates and venues for the tour ….

• July 20 - Freshwater Memorial Hall Freshwater, Isle of Wight
• July 21 - Zebra Bar, Maidstone, Kent
• July 23 - St. Bonaventure’s, Bristol
• July 24 - High Barn, Great Bardfield, Essex
• July 25 - Plough Arts Centre, Great Torrington, Devon
• July 26 - Phil Murphy Weekend, Carrig-on-Bannow, Ireland
• July 27 - Phil Murphy Weekend, Carrig-on-Bannow, Ireland
• July 28 - The Queen’s Hall, Narberth, Pembrokeshire, Wales
• July 29 - Comfort Hotel, Nottingham
• August 1 - Sudhaus, Tubingen, Germany
• August 2 - Kulturufer Festival, Friedrichshafen, Germany
• August 3 - Bardentreffen Festival, Nuremburg, Germany
• August 4 - Altes Kaufhaus, Landau, Germany

More information about the tour can be accessed at the band web site.

Valerie Smith and Becky Buller Here’s A Little Song hits the streets on September 9.

Guests on the CD include the multi-Grammy, Dove and IBMA award-winning Alan O’Bryant and Mike Compton from the Nashville Bluegrass Band; the 2007 IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year, Dale Ann Bradley; multi-IBMA award winner Wayne Benson of IIIrd Tyme Out; Kristin Scott Benson of the Larry Stephenson Band and Larry Cordle and Lonesome Standard Time; and Justin Carbone of Special Consensus. They are also joined here by their fellow Liberty Pike members Chad Graves and Bobby Davis.

Cherryholmes will be on WAMU’s Bluegrass Country for live music and conversation with Lee Michael Demsey this morning (7/19) at 10:00 a.m.

Listeners can hear the interview on bluegrasscountry.org or on HD Radio WAMU 88.5 Channel 2 in the Washington, DC metro radio market.

Your blog authors have been busy in the studio all week working on a couple of new AcuTab projects that were mentioned earlier. I managed to snap a couple of photos of the action.

I thought I’d share them here for those that are interested.

The sessions have gone well and we’re excited about the results.

Earlier this year at the SPBGMA convention in Nashville, TN, Red Line Resophonics showcased their instruments for the first time. Red Line Resophonics is run by Steve Smith of Cumberland Acoustic, a company that produces bridges for mandolins and banjos, as well as truss rods, pick guards, resonators, and more.

Steve has previously worked for Gibson in their Original Acoustic Instruments division, and brings that experience to the creation of this new line of resophonic guitars.

Red Line Resophonics utilizes a combination of traditional body shapes and contemporary sound-well and bracing designs, along with other techniques. There are two primary models being offered at this time.

The standard model consists of all solid wood parts (your choice of woods), an ebony fingerboard, and a number of custom options. The standard model is priced at $1950 with a handful of the custom options adding a few dollars to the price tag. Some custom options, or choices, do not affect the final price.

The rambler model is designed for those who are not able to spend quite as much. The rambler is constructed of solid birch neck and sides, with laminated birch top and back, and a rosewood fingerboard. The cost of the rambler is only $950.

Both models are constructed entirely in America by the team at Red Line Resophonics . No kits or kit parts are used in either model.

This morning (7/18), XM satellite Radio’s Bluegrass Junction will offer the debut airing of The Steep Canyon Rangers’ visit to Studio Special. The guys will be on at 8:00 a.m. (EDT) performing live in the studio and chatting with host Kyle Cantrell about the band’s comings and goings, and their plans for the remainder of 2008.

If you miss the Rangers this morning, the show airs several more times over this upcoming week (all times EDT).

• Saturday (7/19) - 11:00 a.m.
• Sunday (7/20) - 6:00 p.m.
• Monday (7/21) - 8:00 p.m.
• Tuesday (7/22) - Midnight (technically Wednesday morning)
• Thursday (7/24) - 3:00 p.m.

The SteelDrivers will be tonight’s (7/18) musical guests on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, which airs at 12:30 a.m. on NBC television.

Since their debut release earlier this year, the band has gathered one stellar review after another for their blending of blues-inflected original songs with bluegrass instrumentation.

The SteelDrivers consist of Mike Henderson on mandolin, guitar and vocals, Chris Stapleton on guitar and vocals, Tammy Rogers on fiddle and vocals, Richard Bailey on banjo, and Mike Fleming on bass.

We just received word that Josh Williams has announced his engagement to Jennifer Harper.

The two are scheduled to be married later this month, July 26, 2008, in Burns, TN where the couple plans to live.

Here’s the text of the engagement announcement that Josh sent out.

Kevin & Debbie Harper of Dickson, TN. announce the engagement and upcoming marriage of their daughter, Jennifer Lynsey Harper, to Joshua Seth Williams, son of Tony & Terri Williams of Benton, KY. Jenny Lyn is the granddaughter of Mr. & Mrs. William S. Chapman of West Monroe, LA and Mr. & Mrs. Sam Stutts of Pioneer, LA, and the late James R. Harper of Pioneer, LA. She is a 2001 graduate of Simsboro High School in Simsboro, LA and attended East Tennessee State University. She is currently employed with Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Resort.

Josh is the grandson of the late E. G. “Lightning” and Mary Neale Williams and the late Philip G. Farnum and Pauline Farnum and Roland E. Culp and Sarah Hyde. He is a 1999 graduate of Marshall Co. High School. He is currently the lead singer and guitar player for The Josh Williams Band.

Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer have recently launched their first podcast, Cathy & Marcy’s Song Shop. The target audience is kids, or families with kids. The podcast is intended to be a sing-along, play-along, laugh-along adventure for kids.

The first episode was entitled It’s Better When We Sing It Together and the second episode is It’s a Shame. Each podcast features a song by the same title and the children are encouraged to participate and sing along. The videos are taped with a live audience so there is on screen participation as well.

If you have you children and they are into music at all, this may be something you’ll want to check out. Cathy & Marcy tell me they are planning other Folk and Bluegrass podcasts in the future, so we’ll be watching for that.

Both of the existing episodes, along with all future ones, can be watched online. You can also subscribe to the feed from the same page to have the podcasts delivered via iTunes or whichever podcatcher you prefer.

Tom Adams will be joining Bill Emerson and the Sweet Dixie Band on guitar as of September 5.

We reported just two months ago that Tom was launching a new endeavor, Diamond Joe, with banjoist Chris Warner but that group has now disbanded. Tom says that the recordings the band has already made will be incorcorated into an upcoming Chris Warner release on Patuxent Records, and they will continue to track with Chris for this project.

You can find the tour schedule for The Sweet Dixie Band on their MySpace page.

Skaggs Family Records has begun posting video clips of Cadillac Sky from the recording sessions earlier this year for their upcoming CD, Gravity’s Our Enemy. A new video will go up each week until the album hits the street on August 19.

Skaggs Family is running a special promotion for pre-orders received online prior to August 16. When you place an order, you’ll be entered to win an iPod Nano pre-loaded with both Cadillac Sky recordings, plus all pre-orders will receive a free download card for exclusive C-Sky digital content.

Full details on the Skaggs Family web site.

This first clip has mandolinist Bryan Simpson and fiddler Ross Holmes discussing the new project and the “secrets” within.

Jamie Johnson, of The Grascals, and his wife, Suzanne Mumpower-Johnson, are very proud to announce the birth of Jackson Cole (Cole Train) Johnson.

Little Cole Train was born on Saturday, July 12. Cole Train is 20 ½ inches long and weighed in at 8 lbs, 2 ½ oz.

Both Mommy and baby are doing great and so is Jamie since he was able to make it home from California where The Grascals were on tour in time for the birth!

Congratulations to Jamie on the birth of his son!

Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road have a new CD out this year which they are currently promoting on the road.

Why Don’t You Give Jesus A Try, as the name suggests, is an all-Gospel release from Tom T. and Dixie Hall’s Blue Circle Records. It actually hit the street at the end of March, but only recently have audio samples appeared online.

Carolina Road features band leader Lorraine Jordan on mandolin and lead vocals, Jerry Butler on guitar, Ben Green on banjo and Josh Goforth on fiddle.

A complete track listing and several audio samples can be found on the band’s web site.

Wildfire bassist Curt Chapman tells us that Vicki Simmons has been hospitalized in Lexington, KY to treat a brain anueurism.

She is undergoing surgery this morning to locate and stop any bleeding that may be occurring.

Vicki played bass for many years with The New Coon Creek Girls and Dale Ann Bradley, and has many friends and fans in the bluegrass community. She also is featured on the Daughters of Bluegrass Back To The Well CD, and has been a Renfro Valley stalwart for some time.

Cards and well wishes can be sent to:

St. Joseph Hospital
1 Saint Joseph Drive
Lexington KY , 40504

Curt promised to update us once the results of her surgery are known. He said that the family deeply appreciates the prayers and kind thoughts.

UPDATE 7/17: Curt says that Vicki’s surgery went well, and that no problems were found. She is still in the ICU, but should be released in a few days.

Wonderful news.

You can send an email greeting via the St. Joseph Hospital web site.

Renowned fiddle instructor Brian Wicklund and Canadian fiddle master April Verch have joined forces to bring a new instructional book/CD to market, American Fiddle Method: Canadian Fiddle Styles.

The book and CD set will introduce the student to the Canadian fiddle style. The instruction is geared toward those who are of an intermediate level and wish to expand their playing by adding this dynamic style to their repertoire. Canadian styles covered in the book include the traditions of Old Time Canadian, French Canadian, Cape Breton and Métis.

In this 80 page book and 60 minute CD, Brian and April teach the simple melodies to 18 Canadian fiddle tunes, and then go on to demonstrate variations using ornaments and bowing patterns common to Canadian fiddle styles. The instruction is presented in a clear and accessible manner, bringing these more advanced techniques within grasp for all intermediate level players.

The CD includes “play along” tracks for the students continued practice.

This instructional book/CD package is available for $24.95 directly from Brian, or you should be able to find it anywhere Mel Bay products are sold.

If you like cute kids and bluegrass music, this video is bound to take you in. It’s a documentary on The Muellers, a family bluegrass band from Maine, created by film students at nearby Colby College.

It’s up on YouTube in two parts, running roughly 17 minutes in length. You’ll get to meet each member of the family and learn how Curt and Karen Mueller met, married and created a bluegrass brood. Parents and children alike have a refreshingly objective and realistic view of the music business and their goals of success.

You can hear both live and studio audio tracks from The Muellers on their MySpace page.

We often receive email from bluegrass/acoustic music radio hosts from well outside the typical bluegrass demographic, often desperate to find music they might feature in their programming. In many cases, these are shows or stations of which the labels and publicists are not aware, or which they may fear that the added costs of international postage are not justified.

Of course, if the larger bluegrass labels don’t service these radio outlets, that creates a choice opportunity for independent artists or smaller labels to get their music more prominently featured before a new audience.

One such request came recently from Ecuador, complete with a US mailing address.

CHEROKEE CHIEF COUNTRY MUSIC PROGRAM is playing Country Music in Ecuador-Southamerica since 1991, and by now the list requested with songs of new artists is longer and is hard to get info here.

My request is for some kind of support with albums or promo-compilation of these singers, or forward our needing to Record Company or Management for help, this material is not easy to get in Southamerica. If you can send CDs or info to us to our Contact address in NYC, they will resend it to Southamerica…Thanks

Giovanny Briones
Manager-Southmaerica
Cherokeechief_9@yahoo.com

USA Contact Office:
Sonia Santana, Assistant
940 Grand Concourse Apt. 5A
Bronx, NY 10451
Tel: (718) 992-1833

A similar request came in from France…

I regularly participate in a radio broadcast in France that promotes the Country & Western culture and more particularly the music part of it. The name of the radio broadcast is K “89.8 Art libre Fécamp.” What I manage during a weekly broadcast covers several areas of the country music such as Old time, Hillbilly, Bluegrass, Western swing, Cajun, Rockabilly, Honky Tonk, country & western and new country, Austin Outlaws, Southern Rock, Californian Country rock, Country Pop…

Looking at developing the country & western culture and more particularly the country music, I would be readily opened to promote your band in France by sending a sample CD or DVD to my attention.

Bernard PRADEL
168 Rue Claude Monet
76640 YEBLERON
FRANCE

We’ve been in contact this past weekend with the administrators of a new web site devoted to the Ibanez mandolins made in Japan during the 1970s.

IbanezMandolin.com publishes exclusive editorial content that explores the history of the mandolins and is compiling a serial number database and a collectors journal online.

These mandolins - and a companion line of four and five string banjos - were marketed worldwide, and endorsed by Bill Monroe himself, the definitive creator of bluegrass mandolin. The Ibanez instruments were based on classic designs and mixed styling of then-contemporary and vintage Gibson products.

IbanezMandolins.com would also like the help of mandolin and Bill Monroe fans worldwide…

IbanezMandolin.com is currently seeking information on Bill Monroe’s Ibanez Mandolins and Ibanez endorsement details for a future article. Anyone with pictures of Bill playing an Ibanez mandolin, pictures of Bill’s personal mandolins themselves (from a museum or auction display), or first-hand accounts of the events related to his endorsement deal and the current whereabouts of these instruments is encouraged to contact 527@ibanezmandolin.com.

They are also interested in having any owners of Ibanez mandolins visit the site to contribute photos and details about their instruments.

The site operators also sent along a few Ibanez posters from 1975 that featured Bill Monroe, and images of the Ibanez model 527 mandolin. This was the most costly of the vintage Ibanez Mandolin catalog, of which they tell us only two examples have been documented so far.

Jerry Douglas, certified master of the resonator guitar, has a new CD due out August 19 on Koch Records. This will be his 12th solo project in a career that spans more than 30 years, and stints with a who’s who of bluegrass and acoustic artists: Country Gentlemen, JD Crowe & The New South, Boone Creek, The Whites, Emmylou Harris, Strength In Numbers and Alison Krauss & Union Station.

His distinctive slide style has been sought to grace recordings by artists as diverse as bluegrass/new acoustic stalwarts Béla Fleck and Tony Rice, to pop singer/songwriters Paul Simon and James Taylor.

Like previous Douglas recordings, Glide defies every attempt at stylistic pigeon-holing, and features a mixing of genres and sounds as varied as his career suggests. You’ll hear bluegrass influence throughout the majority of the CD, even when the tunes aren’t specifically grassy, encompassing elements of Celtic, American folk, country and rock.

We had a chance to get some feedback from Jerry about the new CD, and about a special honor that has come his way.

“I have been named Artist In Residence for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum for this year. I feel very honored by this appointment. Last year’s Artist was Kris Kristofferson. Earl Scruggs and Tom T. Hall have also had this title.

What this means is that I get do four shows during the months of August and September any way I see fit. I am trying to recruit some respected friends who have meant something special to my career down through the years. I also want this to be entertaining for both the folks participating and those coming to see a good show. There are only around 200 seats in the Ford’s Theater in the Museum and I want this to be something special for those there to remember.”

The Artist In Residency shows are scheduled for August 19, August 27, September 16 and September 30. Tickets are currently available for Museum members, and any remaining seats will be offered to the general public on Monday, July 21. More details can be found on the Hall Of Fame web site, or by calling 615-416-2001.

Given the variety of sounds he captured on Glide, I wondered how many different guitars he used in recording this album.

“I used quite a few guitars for Glide. The workhorse being my new signature model Beard in different tunings, I sometimes stacked tracks with other Beard guitars I have. Also used were an old Weissenborn guitar, lapsteels from Jason Dumont at Lapking Guitars and a Fender Tele I’ve had for years made for me as a lapsteel. I also played an old Martin D-18 and Gibson J-200 on some tracks.” (more…)